Creator Conflux: Setting up for streaming

This page is part of the Creator Conflux, a series of guides for content creators of Dauntless material. This section of the Creator Conflux focuses on streaming-specific content.

Summary
This page contains basic instructions on how to install Open Broadcast Software and connect streaming accounts to it as well as adding sources in Open Broadcast Software for Dauntless, a webcam and microphone.

Installing Open Broadcast Software (OBS)

 * Go to Open Broadcast Software's website to find OBS.
 * Click ‘Download OBS’ and choose your operating system. A download request will be prompted.
 * Download and run the installer.
 * Run Open Broadcast Software. The main OBS screen will appear.
 * Run Dauntless and get to the main login screen.
 * Locate the “Sources” section In OBS near the bottom left of the screen. Click the + Symbol and choose ‘Game Capture’. Title it ‘Dauntless’ in the next prompt, then click ‘OK’.
 * A series of drop down selections will appear. For Mode, choose ‘Capture Specific Window’. For Window, select the option with “Dauntless” in the title. Leave the rest as is, choosing to disable ‘Capture Cursor’ if desired.
 * Once this is done, a ‘Dauntless’ source will populate the Sources tab. Click the unlocked symbol to ‘lock’ the source in place to prevent accidental modification. To remove the source, highlight the Dauntless source and click the minus button to remove it.
 * To add a webcam, in the Sources menu click the plus symbol and choose ‘Video Capture Device’. Name it Webcam in the following window. A series of drop down selections will appear. In ‘Device’, search for the webcam model name and select it. Leave all other options alone and click ‘OK’. If your webcam is displaying in the wrong aspect ratio, change Resolution/FPS Type to ‘Custom’ and choose the resolution the camera transmits at (e.g. 1920 x 1080).
 * The webcam source can be moved around the screen by click dragging it and using the red circle drag points to reshape it. As a general rule of thumb, resizing the webcam source to your preferred size is advised but reshaping often distorts the image. If you make a mistake, click the webcam source and press Ctrl+R to reset it to original settings. When done, click the unlocked symbol to ‘lock’ the source in place to prevent accidental modification. If you need to move it again at anytime, clicking that symbol again unlocks the source.
 * The microphone should automatically be detected if one is being used, If it does not, open the Mixer section by  clicking the cog next to Mic/Aux and select Properties. Make sure the microphone model name is the current device selected (some webcams have microphones and will override.)
 * Use the audio sliders in the Mixer tab to make sure the audio is leveled correctly.
 * In the File menu, go to Settings and select ‘Stream’.
 * Select the Service to broadcast to. Each service requires a ‘Stream Key’. DO NOT SHARE THESE KEYS, as that key allows whoever has it to stream to your channel. You can Reset your Stream Key if need be in the same section using ‘Reset Key’. Note when you do this you’ll need to use the new key in OBS.

For Twitch, your key can be found in your Twitch Account Dashboard under the Stream Key section. Click Stream Key, and copy the key displayed into OBS.

For Mixer, this can be found in your Mixer Account Dashboard. The Stream Key will be hidden, click the square icon next to it to copy it. From there, paste it into OBS.

For YouTube Gaming, this can be found in your Live Dashboard. The first time around an SMS verification is needed, so make sure to have the phone number associated with the account handy.

For Facebook Live, this can be found in the Facebook Live Dashboard - Once you click Create Live Stream, the Stream Key will appear.


 * Go to File, then click Settings. Once this new window pops up, select Output. From here, set the bitrate. Generally, you do not want to use anymore than 80% of your available upload bandwidth for streaming. If transcoding is not available on your channel, it is not advised to go above 2000kbps. Recommended bitrate specifications are under Streaming Tips & Tricks.
 * Make sure Encoder is set to Software (x264)
 * Go to the Video tab, and you can change your resolution and framerate here. Recommended specifications are under Streaming Tips & Tricks.

From here, Open Broadcast Software basic installation is complete.